Careers Guidance Information

Careers Staff:

Our SLT Careers Lead is Miss McDonagh.  Our school Careers Advisor and Guidance Officer is Mrs Jordan.  Mrs Jordan is based in the Careers Office which is in the Library. 

If you have any queries about Careers please contact Mrs Jordan.

Email:  jordan.a@aylesfordschool.org.uk

Telephone: 01926 747100

Aims 

We are committed to implementing a careers programme that supports students to make informed decisions about their future by providing independent information and guidance and by raising aspirations.

Objectives 

Students will:

• receive a stable careers programme
• experience a culture of high expectation and aspiration in which stereotypes are challenged
• develop the skills they need to manage their own career progression
• develop transferable employability skills through careers education and experiences of the workplace
• are aware of the education, training and employment opportunities available to them locally and nationally
• have access to relevant, unbiased information (printed, digital and in-person), and learning opportunities to help them develop their decision-making skills to manage change in their education, training and employment
• benefit from the relationships established between the school and local businesses, educational establishments and training providers and also national businesses, educational establishments and training providers to have a range of meaningful encounters
• have experience of the workplace
• receive individual impartial, confidential careers information, guidance and advice that is focused on their individual needs.

Aylesford School is committed to meeting the eight Gatsby Benchmarks to ensure that all of our students benefit from a high quality Careers programme.

The Gatsby Benchmarks:

1) A stable careers programme

An embedded programme of careers education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers, governors and employers.

2) Learning from career and labour market information

Every student, and their parents, should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will have the support of an informed adviser to make the best use of the available information.

3) Addressing the needs of each pupil

Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support should be tailored to the needs of each pupil. The careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.

4) Linking curriculum learning to careers

All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths.

5) Encounters with employers and employees

Every student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This could be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.

6) Experiences of workplaces

Every student should have first- hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and / or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities and to expand their networks.

7) Encounters with further and higher education

All students should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.

8) Personal guidance

Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser, who could be internal (a member of staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These opportunities should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs.

Careers Education at Aylesford School:

All pupils in Years 7-13 are entitled to:

• Find out about the full range of post-16 education or training opportunities, including apprenticeships and technical education qualifications, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point; 
• Have opportunities to meet and hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including apprenticeships and technical education through careers fairs, assemblies, presentations/talks, assemblies, options events, group discussions and taster events; 
• Understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses. 

Careers education takes place during Year Periods when the timetable is collapsed across all years. These sessions start in Year 7 and build up in terms of allocated time as students’ progress through the year groups. These sessions include:-

• General Careers information
• Making decisions e.g. option choices
• Preparation for future jobs
• Awareness of skills
• Financial capability
• Mock applications and interviews (with local employers)
• Enterprise skills

Extra time is spent during assembly, tutor time and Home-Link evenings at key points of transition i.e. Year 9 into 10, Year 11 into 12 and Year 13 and beyond. Many of these opportunities allow adults from a variety of career backgrounds to work with and inspire our students. We also invite ex-students to return and talk about their experiences. We recognise the importance of real-life contacts within the world of work.

All students have access to Unifrog, an online platform for pupils to find out about the different post-16 and post-18 opportunities, from further and higher education to apprenticeships and employment.

Mock interviews with a variety of employers and Governors are offered to all Year 11 students and any Sixth Former who need additional support and guidance. Prior to this, students have the opportunity to write a CV and letter of application as well as preparing for interview.

Sixth Form students are supported in making decisions concerning Higher or Further Education, or alternative routes such as apprenticeships or employment after Year 13. This support includes talks by outside speakers, apprenticeship fairs and attendance at selected, appropriate, special events.

Teaching staff will also support students with appropriate advice, information and guidance when asked as Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance at Aylesford School is a whole school approach. Links with local and national employers and other organisations such as Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Skills for Employment also enhance the careers information, advice and guidance which is available to the students.

Students are also offered personalised careers advice and guidance during a Careers Interview, to help them make the best choices.

Careers Plan 2023-24Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance Policy 

Unifrog

Unifrog is an online resource that we subscribe to.  It contains a wide range of information about opportunities for students after they have finished school.  Students can explore their careers that may interest them by completing profile quizzes based around their personality, interests and skills or by selecting their favourite subjects.  Students can also use Unifrog to explore university and apprenticeship opportunities as well as for support with applications.

We use the Unifrog Placements tool to manage the Work Experience administration.

Students can log into Unifrog by following the link in an email sent by Unifrog.  They can request that the email is resent by clicking on ‘Resend welcome email’ on the Unifrog sign in page.  The welcome email will be sent to their school email address.

Additional information about Unifrog will be shared with students in tutor time, year periods and on Synergy.  We will also share information with parents on Synergy.

Sign in to Unifrog here.

Year 10 Work Experience

We offer Work Experience during the summer term of Year 10.  This year Work Experience is taking place between Tuesday 2^nd and Thursday 4^th July.

Work Experience offers students the opportunity to go into a workplace and discover what it is like to work. 

Work experience has many benefits for students:

• They get to find out what work is like
• They may get to try working in a role they would like to do when they are older to see if it really is for them
• It gives them more independence, maturity and confidence – they will be treated as an adult!
• It will lead to increased motivation as they can see where their hard work in school, post-16 and post-18 studies can lead
• They will learn and develop their skills
• They will enhance their CV or job applications
• It may lead to a job/apprenticeship offer in the future – if they make a really good impression!
• They may learn what type of job they definitely don’t want to do in the future!

Pupils are given information about the Work Experience process in assemblies and Year Periods.  This information will also be available to students and parents on Synergy.  It includes information about finding a Work Experience placement, completing the appropriate Work Experience paperwork and preparing for the placement which covers our expectations of students on placement along with Health and Safety and Safeguarding guidance. 

There is a video recording of the information shared at the recent Work Experience Information Evening. This outlines the Work Experience process.

Click here for the Work Experience Information Evening presentation slides.

We will be using the Unifrog Work Placements tool for students to add details of their work experience placements and fill in the necessary forms.  They can check the progress of employer, parent and school coordinator forms.

Unifrog have produced a guide to explain how the Unifrog Placement tool works:

How to use the Unifrog placements tool

Once a student has secured a placement they should fill in the Placement Details Form so they have the correct details to complete the initial stage on the Unifrog Placements tool.  They may complete the form themselves if they know the details or they may wish to send it to the workplace to complete and return.

Placement Details Form

If you have any questions or queries about Work Experience please contact Mrs Jordan.

Provider Access Policy

The updated provider access legislation (PAL) has now been enacted. It specifies schools must provide at least six encounters with approved providers of apprenticeships and technical education for all their students:  

• Two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ (year 8 or 9) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend 
• Two encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ (year 10 or 11) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend 
• Two encounters for pupils during the ‘third key phase’ (year 12 or 13) that are mandatory for the school to put on but optional for pupils to attend 

This new legislation will become a key mechanism to further help learners understand and take-up, not just apprenticeships, but wider technical education options such as T-Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications.  

Provider Access Policy-April 2023

Measuring and assessing the impact of the Careers Programme:

At the end of the academic year we track the destinations of our school leavers and report NEETs (the students who are not in education, employment or training).

Each term we complete the Compass Audit to monitor our progress against each of the Gatsby Benchmarks and identify our areas of strength as well as areas for development.

Students are asked to review and feedback on the Careers Programme at the end of the academic year so that areas of development can be identified.  Students are also asked to provide feedback on specific events, such as Enterprise Days, to inform future planning and improve future events.

Resources

Resources for Students

Resources for Parents

Resources for Teachers

Resources for Employers